Home Office promises greater consistency in licensing

The Home Office has claimed that the government’s decision to hand it full responsibility for the Licensing Act 2003 will bring greater consistency in licensing and enforcement.

Commenting on the removal of responsibility – with the exception of regulated entertainment – away from the Department for Culture Media and Sport, Home Office minister James Brokenshire said: “This move will not only reduce duplication of effort but will mean just one department is responsible for enforcement and licensing policy, allowing for a more consistent approach to tackling this issue.”

Brokenshire said the government remained concerned about the number of alcohol-related incidents and drink-fuelled violence and disorder affecting towns and cities.

The minister argued that the system needed to be “rebalanced in favour of local communities, so that they can decide on the night time economy they want”.

Brokenshire added that the government planned to:

• Overhaul the Act to give local authorities and the police “much stronger powers” to remove licences, or refuse to grant licences to, any premises causing problems
• Toughen the sanctions for premises found to be persistently selling alcohol to children
• Allow councils to charge more for late-night licences, and
• Ban the below cost sale of alcohol.

The government has already announced a review of the taxation and pricing of alcohol.